Jameis Winston, community quickly get back to football

State attorney William Meggs announces Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston (not pictured) will not be charged with a crime following allegations of sexual battery.(Photo: Mike Ewen, USA TODAY Sports)

TALLAHASSEE — By the end of the day, there had been awkward banter and inappropriate laughter in a news conference with the state prosecutor, shirtless Florida State fans loitering in front of the courthouse while doing the Tomahawk chop, a reporter asking whether this had all been an Alabama conspiracy, a defense attorney who could have been flagged for excessive celebration and an athletic department ready to move on as if nothing significant had happened over the previous three weeks.

On the afternoon that Florida's 2nd judicial circuit announced that no charges would be filed against Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, hardly anyone involved was covered in glory.

But the bottom line following a three-week investigation into allegations of sexual battery, which first surfaced last December but lay dormant until last month, came when state attorney William Meggs was asked Thursday if the case was closed.

"Yes," Meggs said. "It is."

And just like that, the biggest threat to Winston's future, his chances of winning the Heisman Trophy and Florida State's aspirations of winning the national title had been eliminated. No matter how long it takes for the scars to heal, no matter the damage done to his reputation and no matter how murky some of the details still appear to be, this was mostly viewed as a triumphant day for Winston and his football team.

Moments after the decision not to charge Winston was announced, six shirtless male students – each wearing cut-off jean shorts and a letter painted on their chest to spell "J-A-M-E-I-S," – came parading down Monroe Street and talking about going to the BCS championship game. Others came later, holding signs and yelling "Exonerated!" at the mass of media that had gathered outside the courthouse.

If that scene came off as insensitive, it was nothing compared to the rhetoric of Winston's attorney, Tim Jansen, who didn't just maintain his client's innocence but inferred that athletes are targeted on college campuses by spurned females who "idolize them" and suggested Winston's family might file a civil suit to address the damage to his reputation.

The information that surfaced Thursday explained why it would have been difficult – if not impossible – to prosecute the case.

When the allegation first became public on Nov. 13 – more than 11 months after the incident occurred – the heavily redacted police report left far more questions than answers. Many of those answers are still lacking, but a more complete picture of the information Meggs was dealing with emerged Thursday.

This wasn't just a case of he-said, she-said because the narrative that night also involved two teammates who filed sworn affidavits indicating they had witnessed consensual sexual acts between Winston and the accuser through a broken door at their apartment. Then, there were two complicating factors, according to Meggs. Though Winston's DNA matched samples taken from her underwear, there was also DNA on her shorts from a man Meggs described as her boyfriend.

Meanwhile, toxicology reports showed that the accuser had no drugs in her system and very little alcohol shortly after the alleged rape. That was problematic for the State Attorney, because her lapses in memory couldn't be attributed to being under the influence.

"Her recall of the events of that night have been moving around a good bit," Meggs said. "There's some memory lapses, there were some major issues.

"After we examined all of the evidence and interviewed all the witnesses we could find, we came to the decision there was not a case we could bring forward because we would not have the burden of proof, the probable cause and the reasonable likelihood of a conviction."

After initial speculation about whether Tallahassee Police pursued the case aggressively enough in December, Meggs sidestepped questions about whether police acted properly but said he did not consider preferential treatment of Florida State football players to be a factor.

Supporters of Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston (not pictured) react after the announcement Thursday that criminal charges would not be filed against Winston.(Photo: Mike Ewen, USA TODAY Sports)

Winston never spoke with investigators and didn't speak to reporters Thursday but did issue a statement through his attorney.

"I want to thank my family, friends, coaches and teammates for standing y me during a difficult time," he said. "I also want to thank the State Attorney's Office for examining all of the facts and reaching a decision in a conclusive manner. It's been difficult to stay silent through this process, but I never lost faith in the truth and in who I am. I'm very relieved I'll be able to continue my education at Florida State and I'm excited I can now get back to helping our team achieve its goals."

Patricia Carroll, the attorney for the accuser, released a statement on behalf of the woman's family.

"The victim and her family appreciate the State Attorney's effort in attempting to conduct a proper investigation after an inordinate delay by the Tallahassee Police Department," she said. "The victim in this case had the courage to immediately report her rape to the police and she relied upon them to seek justice. The victim has grave concerns that her experience, as it unfolded in the public eye and through social media, will discourage other victims of rape from coming forward and reporting."

Those statements were perhaps the only two dignified moments of a day that will be remembered for the flippant tone of Meggs' press conference and the tactless questions to Jansen about whether the victim's family had ties to Alabama and whether Winston's integrity had been compromised because he had a one-night stand.

Later, by the time a public relations employee from Florida State had warned media members that they could only ask coach Jimbo Fisher about Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference championship game against Duke, it was clear the school was as eager as anyone to put this episode behind it.

Asked how he would address Thursday's events with the team, Fisher said: "I already have. We had our team meeting and said, 'OK, let's go practice.' "

Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston kisses the trophy after defeating the Auburn Tigers 34-31 in the 2014 BCS National Championship game at the Rose Bowl.
Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports

Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston (5) runs with the ball against Auburn Tigers defensive back Jermaine Whitehead (9) and linebacker Kris Frost (17) during the second half of the 2014 BCS National Championship game at the Rose Bowl.
Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston (5) throws the ball from his own end zone pressured by Auburn Tigers defensive end Craig Sanders (13) and Angelo Blackson (98) during the first half of the 2014 BCS National Championship game at the Rose Bowl.
Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports